The little bridge that crosses the Serenza stream in Cantù collapsed on the afternoon of May 16th. Three people were crossing it and ended up in the water: two were saved, a 66-year-old was dragged away and is still missing.
The operations of the firefighters in Cantù
A 66 years old of Cantù (in the province of Como) results missing from 6pm this afternoon, Thursday 16 May. According to what has been reconstructed so far, the man was on a small bridge in the Fecchio area, above the Serenza stream which at that point takes the name of Galliano canal. The river was swollen following the downpour that hit in the afternoon. For reasons that will need to be clarified, the jumper has surrendered causing the 66-year-old and the two friends who were with him to fall into the water. While the two managed to reach the shore, the third was carried away by the current.
Once the alarm was raised, the firefighters arrived on site with the SAF (alpine river rescue) teams and the helicopter. The aircraft searched the area where the fall occurred from above, also retracing the entire course of the Serenza stream up to the point where it joins the Seveso river. However, the searches would not yield no significant results.
The bridge that collapsed was built partly in iron and partly in masonry. Its construction was recent, i.e. a few months ago, when the buildings were built in the area lamination tanks to prevent any flooding from reaching the towns downstream. The service bridge, in fact, allows you to maneuver the opening and closing of the tanks.
An acquittal and two halved sentences for the collapse of the Annone bridge, which killed Claudio Bertini
The 66-year-old from Cantù was crossing with two friends when, for reasons still unclear, he gave in. The torrent, in flood due to the heavy showers of the last few hours, dragged him away when he was between via Domea and via Mentana. At that point, the canal passes through some sections underground. The fear is that the 66-year-old who has been missing since 6pm may have been dragged into an underground area.
